In the second half of the 18th century the history of Russian artillery is characterized with working out many experimental patterns for artillery guns that were offered for adoption in the army. Russian scientists-*artillerists tried to solve problems of increasing the firing rate and fire power of guns. An imteresting sample of such systems is the 3‑pounder experimental cast*-iron cannon with a rectangular barrel bore cast in Olonets in 1722. It was intended for firing three 3‑pound balls, which were wrapped round with linen and placed in one row on a wooden tray.

Cool stuff

Who ever provided these images, I'd love to see the rest of the museum in this detail.....

Last edited by freebooter : 14th April 2012 at 12:58 PM.
Reason: further comment

I've got a book titled Artillery of Peter the Great, will check it after I get back home.
Off the cuff - Russian artillery was quite renown in Europe in the 18th-19th c. for its efficiency and innovations

Some extremely early swivel cannons mounted to the rails had barrels exactly like this shape- See Gilkerson's 'Boarders Away 2', pg 47, which fired 'hail-shot', the first form of schrapnel of its kind. It fired odd block-like shot that was stacked like bricks. I'm assumiing it was swapped in come sort of carcass.

The museum is the Museum of Artillery, Engineers, and Signal Troops in St. Petersburg, Russia. If you have never been to this website which has hundreds of photos of things most of us have never seen before, say goodbye to whatever other things you had planned for today and enjoy it.